Celebrating 15 Happy years.....

Wow, haven't wrote a diary in quite some time. We've had a lot going on in our lives the last 4 yrs. Mom had gotten real sick, but is finally doing well, just dealing with "old knee's" now. I don't mind that as long as she's feeling better and can take me places again. We got two little human grandkids (twins) may 2012. They entered our world a little too early so mom and dad was at the hospital a lot all last year. They recently had their very first birthday. One of them will have hopefully his last surgery in a few days. Mom's sad about that but she feels he'll be just fine. The oldest grandson is spending a few days with us now that he's out of school for the summer. Mom posted some pics of him giving me my birthday present. He picked it out and even wrapped it for me. I trained him a while ago to know how to love dogs and care for me. He's doing a great job at only 8yrs old :) So mom and I went on our annual Island hopping cruise yesterday. We enjoy planning the trip and seeing our pals each year. We seem to add a few new ones each time we go. The weather was perfect and the lake was pretty calm. Jen came with us, we had great day! Today mom and I just crashed at home, relaxing and recharging from yesterday. Can't wait to do it again next year. At 15 I'm feeling pretty good, just can't hear much anymore. Mom makes sure to keep careful watch for me so I stay safe. Tomorrow we'll stop in at work for a bit. Probably will just take it slow this week, cuz next week we'll be taking grandkids for swimming lessons in the morning then work in the afternoon. Life is good, Hugs to all, LuvGiz

Island Hopping ...still.....

Last weekend mom and I went on our annual "Goodtime I Island Hopping" trip. She's say's we do it just to celebrate my birthday, which was Mon June 7th. I'm now 12yrs and still loving the yearly day trip with my doggy travelin pals. This year was a bit different cuz Mom and I organized the whole thing. Our tour guide closed her business earlier this year and mom and I just couldn't let our pals down. We all enjoy getting together and taking a bus ride to someplace fun. We may even plan another trip for the fall. Mom's been having some health problems lately but she's determined to get better and keep our trips going. Enjoy your summer! LuvGiz

Meeting the "celebrity dogs"

Well I'm a little late in posting this, but... last Saturday, the 16th, mom and I went for a little drive. Well actually we drove 2hrs to Dublin, Ohio. Luke was at Mutts & Co with his dogs Hudson and Murphy. They are traveling 2000 miles spreading the word about canine cancer. http://www.2dogs2000miles.org/ It was a lovely drive and so worth the trip. Well Hudson was a bit flirty, but he's young and Murphy was so calm and gentle. We also did a little shopping for Bella cuz it was her birthday. She's 3 yrs old now, and still a handful, we got her a cool new chewy ball toy thingy. Well the fact is Hudson and Murphy are somewhat famous. Just about everywhere they go the tv crew comes out to film them. Keep your paws crossed they get on the Ellen show. I hear they've even been practicing a dance for her. So Mom and I sent Ellen a letter, sure hope it helps. Maybe not, they're cute and fluffy enough to get Ellen's attention all on their own. *waves to the big white fluffy boy's*

Some things about me, I got this from my good friend- Precious!

Getting to know your friends,
Copy this diary entry, and paste it into your diary. Read and then delete my answers. Then you can fill in your own! We can get to know our pals better!! Have fun!! Then send a rosette or pawmail to 4 pals and ask them to post it in their diary!!!!

1. What color is your collar?
I wear a Lupine collar called Pink Muddy Paws, so it's pink and brown.

2. What kind of food do you eat?
California Natural mixed with human chicken, beef, cottage cheese, just something to entice me, I'm rather particular in what and when I eat, No not picky....hmmm

3. What are your favorite treats?
BEEF JERKY! Mom actually buys a venison jerky that my friend Patches let me taste at our get-together, thanks Patches!

4. Do you have a Valentine or significant other??
Yes! The very handsome Puggie (sigh)

5. Do you get Table Scraps?
Of course, but it depends on what it is, although I love twizzlers, so mom gives me a little piece or two.....

6. What is your favorite toy?
My squeaky flower!

7. When is your Birthday?
June 7th, I'll be 11yrs old this year:)

8. How many times a day do you get to eat?
Usually only once in the evening, but some day's I must eat, eat, eat!

9. Do you have a favorite color?
Probably black and white, cuz that's what color I am.

10. Do you hope all your pals put this in their diary?
Yes, I'd love to know some fun stuff about them:)

I've Been Tagged.....

I've Been Tagged By sweet Angel Mazie, my handsome Puggie, my good friend Precious, my birthday sis Trixie Mae,and my little Canadian buddy Gaius:

List 7 things about yourself:

1. My heart belongs to Puggie, who is quite handsome, ya know.

2. I live with my mom, daddy, youngest human brother, and his dog Nomex and a crazy bird Jake. And I have to see 4 silly grandpups way too often!

3. I will attack the human grandchild and steal his beef jerky!

4. I love snow!

5. Mom and I go on bus trips with lots of other dogs.

6. I go to work everyday with my mom. She say's I'm the complaint department. People come to see me just to complain..hehehe.

7. My favorite things are Cheesecake, beef jerky, Puggie, jerky, Puggie, jerky, Puggie....well you get the picture.

Here are the pups that I tagged. Read my list and post 7 things about yourselves and tag 7 more furfriends and list them in yer diary. Don't forget to pawmail your furfriends and tell them they have been tagged!!!!!!!!!

1. Tribble(he was my first Valentine)
2. First Lady Queen Bailey(she's everyone's best friend)
3. Molly Grace(she's so sweet, her DaMomma helps other dogs)
4. Boone(Hmm, my redneck Pal...He's my good friend,and he's cute!)
5. Dallas( My newest friend, he's got a great smile)
6. Bella(Pretty Bella has a great big pack, her mom is a super rescuer)
7. Maxwell( My Distinguished friend who is alway's there me)

My Birthday:) 6/7/2008

Well it's been just over a week now, I am officially 10 yrs old. Mom started celebrating a week early with our annual dog trip to the Lake Erie Islands. We left early in the morning to meet our friends with My Best Friends Tours. We headed to Sandusky to board the Goodtime I, then off to Kelley's Island, then to Put-in-Bay. We cruised around the islands in a golf cart and enjoyed the brisk air off the lake. The day was beautiful and spent with good friends. We've been taking these types of doggy day trips for about 8yrs now. It is a great way to meet new people and dogs and to see new things and share delicious meals with our humans. I hope that someday all of you will have the chance to take a trip like this, make new friends and experience things that usually only our human's get to do. Mom also took me to my favorite bakery, The Grateful Dog Bakery, in N. Ridgeville, OH. Just the smell inside is worth the trip. I'm greeted, by name when I enter and leave with a scrumptious treat. Ok I get a baker's dozen and share with Nomex and Bella. Birthday's are great! "Hey Mom, can we celebrate another week?!?"

Barkli Dog....

On this Memorial weekend, I would like to tell you about a special dog I never met. When my middle human brother was very little, he was sad cuz his best friend moved away and Maxi, our daddy's shop dog got hit by a car and didn't survive. Mom told daddy to get that boy a dog, he's just too sad. So the next thing mom seen was a 5yr old little boy walk in the door with his arms filled with a puppy. He wanted to call her Barks cuz she barked alot. Mom said how about Barkli?And Barkli she was. She was a beautiful black and white Springer Spaniel mix. Just as sweet and gentle as can be, but...mom called her their "lemon dog". Barkli had all kinds of problems, too many to mention. Mom ran the day care so she could bring Barkli to work with her and then one day mom got hurt and stayed home for a very long time, Barkli was 12yrs old by now and really needed her. Barkli had hip dyspasia and a very bad skin problem. She needed bathed several times a week. Mom didn't mind and did what ever she could to keep Barkli comfortable. Little lumps started appearing all over her and she could no longer wag her tail. She lost all control of her ability to hold her potty, and wimpered at the slightest move. Mom was at the vets often, which Barkli never liked. Then one day Barkli put her head on the doc's shoulder and looked up at him as if to say, "Please, I've had enough". So they took her in the backroom and she went to the Rainbow Bridge. Mom later regretted not holding her, but she was so scared, sad and alone and never had to deal with this before, it just happened so fast. Mom brought Barkli home and made her a special garden in our backyard. Last fall our cat Garth joined Barkli in the garden. They were together from the begining and now are resting peacefully under a beautiful shade tree with butterfly flowers surrounding them. Mom's favorite memory was when she was taking the boys to boy scout camp for the weekend. Mom was a scout leader so she camped with them. They had the van all packed and couldn't find Barkli anywhere. She usually stayed home with daddy. Well there she was sitting in the van in the backseat. Mom didn't have the heart to make her stay home, they had the best time. Barkli alway's went with them after that. The scouts enjoyed it when she'd pull them around on their skateboards. She dug huge holes near the tent, flinging dirt everywhere! Then the scouts would play where she dug. The whole family cried when Barkli left for the bridge. It took about 2 months when that middle son said "mom everyone else gets a new pet when theirs die". Mom had a long hard road taking care of all of Barkli needs and soon she missed the times she'd tripped over her in the dark, or when she follow mom out to the mailbox, or when she wasn't banging herself into mom and daddy's bed every morning waking them up to go out. So after many long day's searching, they found me. They would say with my black and white marking and the way I slept on the bed in funny postions, that Barkli sent me to them to help heal their hearts. Thankyou Barkli for all those wonderful years of being a loving and loyal family member.
Barkli 6/86-6/98

SPRING TAG

I have been Spring Tagged by my sweetie-pie-Puggie!
I have written out the four questions and answered them. I hope the four friends I have tagged have fun with this game too!!

Here are the rules: Give four answers to each category and then ask four pals to do the same. Then they pick four of their pals to answer.
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Name four jobs you have had:
1. Working at our family business, I'm the complaint Dept.
2. Taking care of a little human, almost everyday!
3. Teaching the grandpups some RESPECT!
4. Being the Planner Poochie for Ohio's Friendly Dogs Get-Together.

Name four places you have lived:
1. I lived in a little glass aquarium when I was really really little.
2. When my mom and my human brother found me, they took me home.
3. I've stayed in a hotel a few times. With mom of course, for vacation.
4. Nowhere else, cuz I've been lucky to have only one real home!

Name four places you have been:
Well I go just about everywhere mom goes, so the list is a long one,
but I'll just tell ya 4 places.
1. Niagara Falls, Canada (I was even in the Skylon Tower)
2. I Luv Lucy's hometown for a tour in Jamestown, NY (I stood on an old vaudeville stage she had performed on)
3. I went for a trian ride in Byesville, OH
4.The Dog Day's of Summer at the Great Lakes Brewery, in Cleveland (having lunch with mom and Kuma in their courtyard)

Name four places you would rather be:
1. On a bus trip with my doggie pals
2. Huggin my sweet Puggie on that ferris wheel
3. Under the Pergola in my backyard in the summer, eating hamburgers
4. Going for a ride in the truck wherever mom is going

*************************************************** ** ***************
Now I tag:
1. Our First Lady Bailey
2. Precious
3. Onry Onyx, Ever Our Angel
4. Blackie

Missing Grandpa

This is how I'll remember my "Grumpy Grandpa". When mom and I would go visit him and grandma, he would say "Don't you know that thing is 'Ugly'?" I'm sure he was just beauty blind the he could not see how beautiful I am. So I would hop up on the couch and he would bark "I don't want to smell dog on my couch!". So mom would carefully take her coat and place me on it so I couldn't leave my wonderful doggy fragrance on his couch. He would alway's tell mom that someday when he's really old, that he would get a real dog, a labrador and have it sit by his chair. Well mom would ask "Just how old do you need to be dad?" He was 78, in human years. He just never seen how important I am and that I am here to take care of his daughter. And I must say I do a fabulous job! So "Grumpy Grandpa" would sit in his chair, open his bag of beef jerky, eat a piece and then put the bag away. "Hey, what about me!?!" So now he notice's me watching him and tosses a mere morsel my way. WOW, was he ever surprised to see me catch it in mid-air. So what does he do, put the bag away. He opens the bag, tosses me a piece, puts it ways, then opens it again, TOSS, another piece. He could have just kept it opened, but I think this gave him something to do. He tosses one more piece, and smiles. Well, on February 11th, the angels came and took him away. No more beef jerky from "Grumpy Grandpa" but at least I know I finally made him smile. May the Angels hold you & give you peace "Grumpy Grandpa" you are so very loved & missed.

Queen of Pugalooza's Pugdom...

*sigh* I think it has finally sunk in that I am the Queen of Pugapalooza. What a joy, thrill, and honor it is to be chosen for such a prestigious position. It is also a great pleasure to serve the Pugdom beside my very handsome love, King Puggie. We had the most spectacular Coronation Ball and were pleased to find so many good friends joining us in celebration. In appreciation King Puggie special ordered my favorite treat, cheesecake, for each and every Pugapaloozian (their choice of flavors). A yummy brekkiefest was had by all. And I hope everyone had a grand time snowboarding and sipping imported Swiss hot chocolate at the castle. What else could make our Pugdom happy? More food? More parties? More spa treatments? More Pugarita's? Whatever it may be, let's have fun and enjoy our friends and families. So thank you all for allowing me to be a bigger part of this wonderful place and be pampered while doing so. Those royal chef's are divine, the castle is warm and inviting, the gardens are enchanting and the staff, oh so accommodating.I look forward to the another month and many more special moments shared with all of Pugapalooza. May there be peace and happiness for all!
Luv , Queen Gizzie